


No Longer Alone

by Amydiddle



Series: Growing Up Parts of a Whole [7]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Anxiety is born!, Gen, Patton is a good Dad, Sanders Sides - Freeform, he was around for like 2 years and no one noticed so HE IS DISCOVERED YAY, kind of, thomas sanders - Freeform, unedited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-18 22:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11883786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amydiddle/pseuds/Amydiddle
Summary: Anxiety has been living in the basement of Thomas' mind space for almost two years now. A place were all the host's darkness resides. The small side has learned how to take care of himself and how to avoid the sides whenever he goes upstairs.Tonight's midnight food run goes a bit differently.





	No Longer Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This is moved from my tumblr.
> 
> The idea that Logic and Morality were 'Learning and Heart' and also that the sides are locked up in rooms but there developing slowly comes from an amazing fic by FrickinGwaine called "Learning for the Heart". I loved the idea a lot and adopted it into my own HCs.

Anxiety had been free to move around the mind space for two years now. The day that Thomas had entered fifth grade was the day he finally got a door handle to escape his dark room. The first few days he did not dare touch the handle in case it was a trick. After that he hung around in the basement space listening to people move around upstairs yet never venturing there himself. 

When that week was up he finally did go up and had been making trips ever since. Only, he made sure the others did not see him. He was fast and stuck to the shadows. He never let them see him once.

In the beginning he only went up when they were all asleep but eventually he started to go up to just listen to them all. Hear what they had to say and watch them as they worked with Thomas. Learn who Logic, Creativity, and Heart where or rather learn who  _Logan_ ,  _Roman_ , and  _Patton_ where. Use that information to figure out who he, as  _Virgil_ , was. 

Yet, even with the silent observation, he let time pass without saying a word; without getting their attention. He let them go on thinking they were the only three sides to Thomas. 

Thomas was now in seventh grade. No longer the ten year old that he was when Anxiety was released and there was still so much to come in his young life. Virgil could tell; he just had this feeling. 

The thought of more work and the higher likelihood of getting caught plagued his mind. The silent pre-teen laid awake at night worried about a future he knew nothing about. It was always some strange topic that his thoughts wandered to. 

Tonight in particular it was just jumping around Thomas’ minor fears. 

_What if Greg hates Thomas now? He has been talking to those other people a lot lately. I bet he is talking to them and making fun of Thomas._

_High school is so close. That is where all the really bad things happen. I don’t want Thomas to get hurt or fail or have harder tests. Maybe he can just skip it and join a circus?_

_Wait... **did Thomas put his math homework in his backpack? IF HE FORGETS IT HE WILL FAIL! IF HE FAILS HE WILL BE HELD BACK! IF HE IS HELD BACK HIS PARENTS WITH HATE HIM! EVERYONE WILL HATE HIM-!**_

Anxiety gave a small grunt of annoyance and sat up. The voices in his mind going silent at the outward burst of aggravation as if they were satisfied with annoying the child out of his sleep. It was not like Virgil had anywhere to go but he did like to be awake during  _some_ of the day. 

The child ran a hand through his hair and let the bangs fall back over his eyes. He was so tired. He had noticed that bags had started to form under his eyes the last time he went to the bathroom. The mirror was now covered up by a towel because it also showed how pale and skinny  _ ~~and pathetic~~  _he was. 

Virgil pushed himself from the bed and grabbed the hoodie that had been thrown on the floor. The pulled it over and sighed when the familiar weight encompassed him. The simple jacket hung almost to his knees and way past his hands. It was a comfort he had always had. 

With his ‘armor’ on he took a breath and stepped out of the dark room.

The basement was darker than the bedroom he had just left. There was no small nightlight to keep him sane. No pictures from so long ago hanging on the walls. Just a dark screen that he never got to work and ominous doors filled with forgotten things and memories that were more blurs of feelings than an actual thing. 

He pulled the hood of the jacket over his head and rushed his sock covered feet over to the stairs. Virgil took eat step quickly and cautiously. He let a hand out to hold onto the railing so he would not fall and let the fast pace of his heart drive him to get up and out into the main hub where the other three lived. 

Even with the urgency to get up up and out he still hesitated at the door. He took the usual precautions of pressing his ear to the door to hear if anyone was out and letting the door open just a crack to see if the coast was clear. 

As expected, the main hub was empty. The couch, beanbags, and one recliner were empty. The screen that showed the world around Thomas was dark as well as the lights that usually lit the room. Outside the windows a lovely night sky was being shown. 

The pre-teen pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped into the hub and a relaxed sigh left him. Even when it was dark this space was peaceful. The cold of the basement left Anxiety and his constant thoughts quieted to a manageable level. 

With some of the tension leaving his body he found himself focused on something he had not thought about all day; food. 

The boy’s stomach grumbled loudly and he set his sights to the room across the hub that would hold what he needed. 

He did not turn on the light as he entered the kitchen. He knew the layout of the food by heart now; what was easy to take and what was not. Virgil simply pulled the step stool from out under the sink and climbed up onto the counter to search the cabinets.

It took about two tries before he found something he could survive off of this early in the morning. Some fudge ribbon cookies; something he could eat a whole package of if given the chance. A small smile appeared on his face as he pulled the package down onto the counter next to him. 

Then the light turned on and that happy feeling of peace he had felt melted into pure terror. 

The child’s head snapped away from his treat to look at the child that stood at the doorway. Bunny shoes covered his feet, puppy printed pajamas covered his body and a baby blue robe covered that. Wide, slightly red rimmed, brown eyes stared at Anxiety in shock behind thick framed glasses. 

Virgil stared right back; frozen in fear. His mind was blank for once in his life and he could swear he forgot how to breathe. 

The two stared at each other for a long moment, to Virgil it felt like years, before finally the world started to come back to the two of them. As soon as Patton broke eye contact the cogs in Anxiety’s brain started to move on overdrive to make up for lost time. 

“LOGAN!” 

The cookies hit the ground as Anxiety slid off the counter faster than he normally would have dared. His breathing was short and his heart was in his throat. 

_This cannot be happening. I was so careful! How...why...why is Heart even up at this hour?_

“ROMAN!” Came the next shout from the eldest side as Virgil tried to sprint past him to get away and hide. Patton was not prepared for the rush and yelped when he was pushed. 

“Whoa-WAIT! Hey!” 

**_When they find out how long you have been hiding they are going to hate you. They are probably going to lock you down in the basement when they learn what you are._ **

_How could I ever think this sneaking this was a good idea?_

Tears started to form in Virgil’s eyes and blurred his vision as he ran. He needed to get back to the basement. He needed to disappear.  _I need to get away._

“Alright, Pat,” someone new yawned, “Where is the spider-What the heck?”

_No. No. No. NO!_

Virgil turned fast and avoided the newly awake side. Sadly that short burst of freedom was foiled when he ran into the last member of the original trio. He fell to the ground and his vision blurred further with tears so all he saw were colors. 

“...uuuhhh, who is that?” 

“Patton what is going on?” 

“I don’t know I just found him in the kitchen.”

“Well, what is he doing here!?!”

“I don’t know that either but he is obviously a side if he is here.” 

“But I have never found any other doors, Heart. That is impossible.”

Virgil put his hands over his ears and tugged at his hair. He was blocked in with all of them having a conversation over him. He could not distinguish one voice from the other and the space around him seemed to be closing in on him. The breathes that did get out were strained around dry sobs. 

He closed his eyes tightly and tired to get rid of his racing thoughts. 

**_You are so stupid._ **

**_You messed up._ **

**_You should have been quieter. Should have been listening. You know better than to fall into a false sense of security._ **

**_What if you let that secure feeling infect Thomas, huh? You could hurt him! You coul-._ **

Anxiety jumped and his eyes snapped open when gently hands touched his shoulders. The blur of light blue, black and light brown probably meant it was Heart.

“Hey, hey! It is okay, sweetie, no one is going to hurt you,” Patton said gently and Anxiety clung to the voice, “I didn’t mean to scare you. I know how weird it is to come out and there to be no one around. You probably weren’t expecting to find someone, huh?” 

Anxiety blinked the tears from his face and swallowed tried to swallow the spit that had built up with his hysteria. He did not move his hands from his ears or hair. 

Patton looked up at the other two and motioned for them to step back. The usually childish side had put on a serious expression and the other two did not protest the silent order. 

The serious look disappeared when Hear looked back at Anxiety; replaced with one of pure kindness and  _ ~~pity~~  _worry. 

“Do you think you can stand up?”

Anxiety must have let a flash of worry go over his face because Patton was quick to reassure the other. 

“I just want to get you on the couch or a bean bag. The floor is not a very comfy place. But if you don’t want to move I won’t force you to.” 

Virgil sniffled and wiped at his face with his hoodie’s sleeve. He took a few unsteady breaths before he moved to get up. Heart was quick to help; gently hands pulling him up to his feet and helping him over to onto the couch.

The couch was just as comfortable as Anxiety imagined but right now if felt like a cold block of cement under him. He could feel the other two’s eyes on him and he made him curl up further into the large hoodie that covered his skinny form. 

“Roman, can you get of water? Logan, some tissues, please?” Patton asked with a slightly commanding tone. The heart had a reassuring hand on Virgil’s back and was rubbing calm circles. 

The other two sides looked at each other and made no move to go and get what Patton asked. 

“Now,” Patton said with a bit more force and the two scattered to leave the eldest and newly found youngest alone. 

Anxiety kept his eyes locked onto his feet. The circles are were helping in a strange way; the boy found himself leaning into them while his breathing became more even. 

He stiffened a little when Creativity came over and held out a glass of water. The green clad side had a frown on his boyish face that only grew when Anxiety looked at the cup suspiciously. 

“It’s okay, kiddo,” Patton reassured, “It’ll help. Trust me.” 

With the words from Heart, Virgil took the cup with a silent mouthing of thank you. What little voice he had could not get out of his closed up throat. He took a sip and let his left leg begin to shake. 

_They are going to want answers soon._

“I found a box,” Logan announced as he came back into the room and simply placed them next to Anxiety before he took a seat on the recliner. He did not sit back; instead he sat on the edge and watched the boy over his glasses. 

Roman did the same only he flopped onto a beanbag and muffled a yawn behind his hand. He was also the one to voice the question that the other three were all thinking after a very long pause of silence. 

“So, who are you?” 

“Creativity,” Hear scolded. 

“What? He shows up at way too early in the morning and you expect us to just let it pass?” 

Logan folded his hands together and finally broke his gaze with the new side to look at the the one that sat on the beanbag. 

“While that is an issue to address I do believe you could have worded the question better.”

Roman opened his mouth to send a comment back but Patton beat him to it.

“He will tell us who he is when he is ready,” he said sternly, “Right now I just want to make sure our new friend know he is safe up here.” 

Anxiety let out a small noise when Heart pulled him a little closer. He wanted to tell them that he wasn’t something to fuss over and that they could all go to bed but words were failing him right now. 

“Well, no, I do think we should address who he is,” Logic countered and shifted under Patton’s gaze, “It...it could help to introduce ourselves first.”

The logical side looked back at Anxiety and, after a moment to compose himself, he held out a hand for the younger side. 

“Hello, I am Logic. You can call me Logan.”

Virgil looked at the hand and then up at Logan. Thoughts raced in his mind on how he could mess this up but he pushed past it to take the hand because he did not want to hurt Logan’s feelings. 

“And I’m Heart,” Patton stepped in before the handshake, “But you can call me Patton or...or Pat. Whatever you feel fits.”

Patton patted Virgil’s shoulders and gave him a warm smile. The two older sides then turned their attention to the younger that was slumped in a bean bag. 

Creativity sighed dramatically and stood up with half of his usual grandeur. 

“And I’m Roman or Cr-”

“Creativity,” Anxiety mumbled the name; his voice coming back at the worst moment. 

The three sides stared at the new one in shock. 

“You can talk?” Patton gasped happily. 

“You know my name!?!” Roman aked over Patton’s joy. 

Logic fixed his glasses and leaned forward some. “Fascinating, how did you come by that name.”

Virgil felt his mouth go dry and his palms begin to sweat. 

_I can’t tell them the truth but if they find out I lied they will be mad. **But** if I tell them the truth they will be mad as well. Oh what do I do? _

“I...I...” 

“Wait-” Roman cut off his stuttering and took a hesitant step towards Virgil. His eyes slowly getting wide. “Are you...are you the side behind the basement door?”

Logan snapped his head to look at Roman, “There is a door in the basement?”

“Yeah, I...well, I found it years ago after I first arrived,” Roman explained with a wave of his hand, “No one answered so I just forgot about it.”

Virgil looked down. He did answer but no one responded. He thought Creativity hated him until he got out of the room and found his note still laying on the other side of the door...unread. 

Tears started to form in the boys eyes but he held them back. He did not want to cry anymore. 

“So, are you the side?” Roman asked again and Virgil responded with a nod.

“Who are you? Why didn’t you write back when I was talking to you? Why were you in the basement?” 

A tear went down Virgil’s face but it was hidden in the shadow of his hood. He just wanted to disappear. His bottom lip trembled and, out of some unknown instinct, he curled into Patton. The eldest made a surprised little noise but held the child close to him.

“You are overstimulating him,” someone said. Probably Logan. 

“I think we should all hit the hay,” Patton said after a moment. The older side’s hands moved methodically as Anxiety did his best to hold back tears. 

Roman scoffed. “But what about my answers!?!” 

“You can get them tomorrow, Creativity,” came Patton’s stern reply, “Now go to bed.” 

Roman made an annoyed little noise and his footsteps echoed loudly as he left the hub. The dramatic child made sure it was heard when he slammed the door closed. The sound made Virgil jump and a small sob escaped him. 

“I guess I will go deal with that,” Logic said after a long pause. “Goodnight to you both. I expect to see you at breakfast.” 

He left with much quieter steps; each one evenly paced. 

Then he was gone and it was just Heart and Anxiety in the main hub. Anxiety silenced his crying in Patton’s robe and the older boy sat there and let him until the newest side was just hiccuping against his chest. 

“Drink some water, dear,” Heart said kindly and grabbed the forgotten glass. 

Virgil took it gratefully and drank slowly; the hiccups made this hard. This whole situation made all the terrible situations he had imagined over those long years seem much worse. 

They both sat there in silence. Outside in the subconscious crickets sang loudly.The peaceful air of the hub slowly returning and calming the young side’s mind. 

Heart broke the silence. 

“Now, I don’t want to pressure you to, but I would be real happy if you stayed up here and slept on the couch.”

Anxiety looked up at him confused. 

“I just...I know you have lived down there all these years in that room but, I would like you to stay up here. Course if you don’t want to I get it. The familiar is less confusing.”

Patton gave an encouraging smile and waited patiently as Virgil found his voice.

“Sta-stay.” 

Heart practically lit up the room with his smile and gently got off the couch. He paused for a second and then took off his robe to put it around Anxiety’s skinny form. 

“Alright. I am going to fetch you a blanket and a pillow,” he said, “You just sit tight right here, kiddo and I’ll-.”

“Anxiety.”

Patton paused and looked at the boy in front of him confused. 

“What...what was that?”

The child shifted nervously and clung to the light blue robe. 

“I-I’m Anxiety.”

There was silence between them for a moment before a kind smile returned to Heart’s face. He ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately. 

“Alright, Anxiety. You sit right here for me. You won’t be alone for long.”

Heart turned and started to hurry down the hall. Usually Virgil would worry about someone lying to him but for once in his life, his lonely life, he believed those words. 

He believe he would not be alone. 


End file.
